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Over the weekend, 1B-OF Craig Wilson agreed to a minor league contract with the Reds and was invited to spring training.
According to last week’s New York Post, the Mets had interest in Wilson, who hit just .172 in 24 games with the Braves last season.
Additionally, the Padres agreed to terms with 1B Tony Clark on a one-year, $900,000 contract.
…according to my e-mail and eyeballs, there is a large group of Mets fans who are absolutely freaking out over 
not having a full-time, bona-fide back-up first baseman in camp…and i’m not totally sure why…i mean, it’s not like any option on the free agent market is going to be capable of replacing delgado on a full-time basis should carlos struggle or get injured…so, what’s the difference…at that point, i just as soon have the most well-rounded bench i can find…why lock one person in to one role…
…and so, as it stands, Damion Easley and Marlon Anderson appear to be this team’s back-up first baseman, both of whom have filled in at first during random times over the last few seasons…frankly, they appear to be this team’s back-up every thing…
…from what i can gather, the Mets had interest in wilson, but also had major questions as to whether he could ever crack the roster…like the team, i also believe that easley, marlon and even Ruben Gotay are better than he is…
In a report for FOXSports.com, Ken Rosenthal writes…
“The Mets do not believe Shannon Stewart or Kevin Mench would provide adequate insurance if Moises Alou were injured - Stewart has a below-average arm and Mench is a below-average defender.”
…i think the Mets like the idea of having a collection of bench players who can rotate in and out of the lineup, playing all different positions, giving Willie Randolph a lot of options while keeping his bench players fresh and alert…
…as i have said, my sense is that if a player like can be had on a minor-league deal, he may be invited to camp…otherwise, it just doesn’t sound like any more guaranteed contracts will be dished out, nor should they…
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The only reason people are worried about it is because how Delgado performed last year. If he continues to decline even further (to the tune of a .220 average), then it’s going to be a legitimate concern.
I understand that worry, but even if Delgado slips to .220, is Craig Wilson gonna be any better? The guy hit below the Mendoza line last year. I’d rather them give a guy like Carp a chance, or even platoon Easley/Anderson/Carp, etc.
Also, is there any chance Ramon Castro could play 1st base? Obviously they’d need to find another catcher, but if Schneider is gonna be the starter, maybe they could slide Castro over to 1st a few games a month if need be.
I don’t think Castro’s body could handle 1st that well.
Scneider has played a few innings at 1B over the last few years, but not full games. Though he is credited with 7 games at 1B in one year in the minors. So my guess would be that he would be in the mix at 1B especially if both Castro and he are hitting well.
I like the idea because it’ll keep Scneider and Delgado more rested, and let Castro have a few more PA’s.
I would hope that Ruben Gotay comes to camp with a 1B mitt as he has the chance to learn from two of the more versatile defenders in the game, and well Keith Hernandez will be there… His best chance to stick in the bigs is as a guy who can start at 4-6 positions and can hammer righty pitching while playing suspect defense. Like Mark McLemore.
That’s all well and good, to worry about Delgado, but it’s not like any option on the free agent market is going to be capable of replacing him on a full-time basis should he struggle or get injured. So, what’s the difference. At that point, I would just as soon have the most well-rounded bench I can find. Why lock any one person in to one role.
It’s not just the role of back up 1B. We could use a RH bat to spell Delgado and Church against LH pitching and to fill in for Alou when he is out. As of now the only RH bat with power off the bench (other than Castro ) is Easley and he can’t fill in for all three plus PH . One more RH bat that plays 1B and corner OF would help.
Church is Alou’s backup in left, Shawn Green or Endy in RF in these situations.
Mike Sweeney was incapable of replacing Delgado? I realize he’s had back issues but it’s hard to hurt yourself when you’re waiting on the bench and pinch-hitting most of the time.
Also last summer Sweeney expressed a willingness to go behind the plate again — on an emergency basis — if it helped his chances to join a contender. The Mets could use a 3rd backstop, obviously.
If Shawn Green’s not getting a starting job somewhere, why wouldn’t we sign him. We may need the OF exp, although I don’t know if he’s ever played left, Alou can’t stay healthy, and he’s play a lot at 1b.
I would rather have Mench than Green.
I don’t get “The Mets do not believe Shannon Stewart or Kevin Mench would provide adequate insurance if Moises Alou were injured – Stewart has a below-average arm and Mench is a below-average defender.”
They are speaking like Alou is a great defender that will be missed. I know he is a decent defender but won’t his bat be missed more than his offense. Sure Endy is a great defensive replacement but what about the offense? Ok so you go the route of Anderson or Easley, is their defense better than Mench or Stewart?
That just makes no sense at all. Why not say, there is just no room with Endy, Anderson and Easley on the bench and Gotay has to stay because he is our primary ss/3b bench player?
I agree. Shawn Green was an excellent Back-up with Delgado out. He had a great September and he liked being here in New York. Sign him for year and he will be a legit Back up for First Base and the Outfield.
I’m not convinced that Damion Easley and Marlon Anderson are capable of filling in for Delgado even on part time duty. Delgado isn’t going to play 162 games even if he’s healthy.
Now you can say that almost every team, especially in the NL does not have a player sitting around that can fill in for losing their starting 1st Basemen, So Delgado and the Mets are not too deferent there. But the Mets don’t even have a young kid they can “rush” to fill the spot. The Staring 1st basemen in AAA last year was 36(?) I think. and I believe he’s not even on the roster anymore.
Easley and Marlon only have about 50 games between them at first base. That’s not a lot when you think about how long they have been playing for.
I think they should do fine, Delgado played in 139 games last year. That’s less than 25 games missed, I would not expect much more than that in a walk year. If he is injured more than that, it’s not like Mench would fill his spot or that we could not trade a B prospect for a backup 1B.
Nice idea if you either have a team full of DWs that never take a day off, or if you don’t really care about defense all that much.
The only guy that would qualify as a defensive replacement (or even equal) is Endy for Alou. Beyond that, every bench guy is at best a stop gap/hold your breath if he has to play the field.
Good points about filliing in on a rest day vs. replacing long term.
The ebnch can fake it for a day here or there (Marlon in the OF, or 1B), but if someone (Alou or Delgado) hits the DL, they need to call someone up to play every day. Other than Gotay at 2B, I don’t see anyone that can play FT for the regular (maybe Endy in CF). Especially not at 1B
Pet Peeve time. It is the 7 man pen that really causes this problem. If you went with an 11 man pitching staff, then you get the 5 bench guys already there, plus you can add a Mench type. Way more flexibility and coverage that way.
And last year, given how little Sele was used, would it really matter?
I see your point, but you have to look at where our biggest problems are. Are we more likely to need that extra man in the BP when we have Pedro and Elduque in the rotation or in the field when we have Alou and Delgado that may need a longer break?
That’s not an easy one to answer. That being said, if Willie is not going to use the long man then there is no need to have him around.
I would not be upset at all if we could get a guy like Alfredo Amezaga from the Marlins that could play every position and then keep Wise or Sosa in AAA or trade the Show. Only problem with that idea is that Show may be our most dependable lefty guy if Feliciano does not rebound. Sosa or Wise seem to fill the same role if there is no long man, however.
Wagner, Sanchez, Heilman, Feleciano, Wise/Sosa, Show,
Given the type of arms we have in Sosa, Wise and Show, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Mets forgo a “long man” this season, but still carry 7 guys in the bullpen. Sosa or Show could be used situationally or in garbage-time long-man roles throughout the season, and Wise seems to have some flexibility as well.
The real question is can Maine and Perez extend their innings? We know that Pedro and Elduque will be pushed to get to 150 but that’s more from injuries than it is leaving early.
Both Maine and Perez should go over the 200 inning mark. If that happens then there would not be as much need for the long man. Whoever has been used the least in the pen can mop up. Sosa, Show or Wise should be fine in that role. I just don’t see the need in a Sele again. It was effective with Oliver but not with Sele at all and taxed our pen.
I agree! I think unfortunately that Willie has his set pitcher management style which he only rarely deviates from. Regardless of performance we won’t see alot of 7+ inning starts. I think the starting staff could have easily eaten Sele’s innings last year, and alot more effectively.
excellent point!
The innings that Pedro and Duque dont pitch will likely be picked up by other starters which will still make the pen work more or as much, but not that much.
But the innings that Maine and Perez leave on the table will ALL be picked up by the pen. Even if they can both just add 1/3-2/3 IP to each outing then they will do the pen a great help. Its only 20-45 IP over the season but it will mean wonders.
Maybe I’m the only one who thinks Omar is playing it cool right now, waiting for pre-season roster trimming. He’ll make a move when some other team is desperate, but it may well be a minor-league move. It’s just not that big a deal right now. (If there’s an injury, of course it becomes a much bigger deal.)
Personally, I think Delwyn Young would be a good risk, since he’s out of options
who in the world is delwyn young? you mean delmon young? he was traded to the twins.
side not, why hasnt register been discussed in the pen? why would we have taken him in the rule 5 draft if we did not intend to keep him?
What does it hurt if he does not make the team. He is insurance for injury in the pen. Heck, they may not even take him back, its happen before.
he was taken very early in the offseason, before Mota being moved, before Wise, before they knew about Dauner…
Plus its just a 50k gamble.
The main reason they took him is because the Mets are one of the few teams with openings on thier 40 man roster. If they offer him back, chances are good the Rockies still dont have room on thier 40 man roster. Its that reason that he was available in the first place.
Who is Delwyn Young?
Former top Dodger prospect? Right-handed? Hits lefties well? Corner outfielder?
Not all that hard to look him up, is it?
I’ve posted a couple of times regarding the openings on the 40 man roster. When other teams DFA a player with options Omar will have the space to claim him. This will only be useful at the end of ST as teams all wait to try and slip players through waivers. If a player or two can be snapped up, it’ll be a nice tradeoff to giving away Register, Vargas and others.
Can Gotay play first base?
If not, why not try to move him there?
He may not have the defensive skills to play 2nd, but he has a good bat. He may just solve our 2009 1st base hole. Just a thought….
His bat is highly overrated and would not be anywhere near enough for a permanant 1B. I know we pick on Delgado but in an off year he still would shatter Gotay’s production.
yup, he needs to learn 1B or LF or he isnt going be long for the big leagues.
He would be most useful as a guy who can play 3B/1B or 3B/LF in addition to being a SS/2B. Look at some of the 3B that the Phillies used last year, he’s no worse than that…
If you look at last year you will see he played third the same amount of games as Easley did and he didn’t have an error. He also didn’t have an error in the 5 games he played short. The guy is a decent backup with a decent bat and not many teams can say they have that.
No worries. If Delgado is out we can either bring up Mike Carp or have Gotay play Third and Wright at 1st.
We would never move Wright because of Delgado or Gotay. If Delgado went down for an extended time it would be a platoon of Easley and Anderson and Valentin who would be called up from AAA.
I was just kidding. Although it worked great for me in MLB 2K7 when I traded for Miggy and my OF was set w/ Bay, Beltran, and Crawford.
If Valentin makes the team over Gotay, I’m pretty sure he’s played 1B a time or two for the Mets. Even if not, he’s a versatile player and wouldn’t have any qualms about filling in there if that’s what the team needed. If he’s healthy and shows he can produce, I’d actually rather have Valentin on the team than Gotay, even though I don’t dislike Gotay at all.
A actually see your point with Valentin but he does not mind being in AAA to start and it does not waste an option with Gotay. Gotay at this point is our backup SS. I would not mind bringing in someone for Gotay but Valentin at this point is there incase there is a DL stint for anyone.
This is part of the problem actually, if they do want to bring up Valentin for 2 weeks then someone will have to be DFA to get a roster spot for the guy to come off the DL.
It really is a shame about Anderson Hernandez. They could really use an IF who has options, and who can hit…
Currently the only position players with options at AH and Pagan. This is a dangerous way to start the season. Chances are those two will get the call ups when someone goes on the DL, and Valentin will get annoyed at being left in AAA.
I don’t think you have to DFA someone if that player is on the DL. I think the rules allow you to switch that player back out right?
not when you have 25 players that dont have options plus one more coming off the DL.
Valentin or Gotay or Chavez or Wise, etc would have to be DFA.
This is an overrated concern IMO. Let’s see how the players we already have on hand work out before we ink some retread to a minor league deal. Last season we picked up Marlon Anderson for nothing and Conine for some very low level minor leaguers. It’s not like if we need a body come May or June a deal can’t be made for a right-handed back-up.
I wonder if Conine could be talked out of retirement if a need comes up…
Noooooooooooo!
yea, kidding…
I think Delgado will be fine. I know his numbers were down last year, but he started out with a horrible first month of the season where he batted just .188. He did hit .285 after the all-star break.
sign mike piazza to play 1st.
delgado has played more than 144 games in 5 years. he has missed btw 18-34 games during the last 4 seasons. that’s a lot of games for a player who isn’’s a 1b.
last year the mets had green who had experience. the division races is going to be close. 20 games with easley or m. anderson at 1st may cost the team a few games defensively. not that delgado is a gold-glover, but he is aware and makes the basic plays. why carry 4 2b’s and nonbidy who can plays 1st, 2nd, or 3rd over a few weeks?
*hasn’t played
Well obviously 2nd base is covered. Again, assuming the Mets do as they always do and carry 12 pitchers what member of our bench do you cut to bring in a permanant 1B backup?
if easley is healthy, i’d let gotay play at triple a. he won’t play with castillo, easley, and m. anderson there. gotay’s defense isn’t good at second. it’s surely worse at ss or 3rd.
ideally. the mets could sign someone who can play 3rd, 1st, and ss. not sure who. though i’m fine with someone who can do it defensively even if they can hit.
Tony Graffanino has played all 3 positions and is available. 9hr 30rbi .238 last year
You beat me to it. He would be a great pickup for a year if we don’t think Gotay can play the IF>
well, Easley hit .280 w/ 10 HRs last year — and played 1B, 2B, 3B, LF, RF (he also hit .371 vs lefties)… but I guess you could replace him w/ a .238 hitter that had a season-ending knee injury last year…
i guess reading isn’t one of your strengths since i wrote if easley is healthy let gotay play at triple a. that would keep easley on the roster, genius.
graffanino would replace gotay on the roster and provide depth. if you remember easely wasn’t particularly helpful on the dl for the last couple of months.
Actually GENIUS, if you could read, you’d know Graffanino was on the DL for 2 months also… w/ a season-ending knee injury
Oh, and he also played a grand total of TWO INNINGS at SS last year, without touching the ball.
At least Gotay played 20 innings @ SS w/o an error — and is a much better hitter than Graffanino, and 10 yrs younger.
Maybe just do a little research before you start ripping into people — it’s also not my fault that you weren’t clear in what you stated originally. But thanks for being such a jerk about it…
i was clear. you can’t read.
gotay had two good months of hitting in his major league life including the minors. he has zero range at 2nd. no way he should play short knowing reyes needs rest this year.
no you just can’t write!
maybe if I write this in crayon you’d understand…
TONY GRAFFANINO ONLY PLAYED 2 INNINGS AT SHORTSTOP LAST YEAR.
i’ll take 562 career innings at ss along with over 1184 innings at 3rd over 20 innings at ss along with 11 innings at 3rd.
not to mention gotay being one of the dancers with reyes and dismissed milledge. this year is about winning not dancing with the stars
“he [gotay] won’t play with castillo, easley, and m. anderson there”
what part was unclear. read it slow.
then you’re right, Graffaninoi would be the choice…
it’s hard to dance when you’re 35 with a bad knee.
I’ll give Graffanino credit though, he is consistent:
.231 vs lefties, .243 vs righties
…consistently bad
and let’s get back to the point I made in the beginning, rather than all your insults…
is that Easley plays the same positions as Graffanino (oh, except for the 2 whole innings Graffanino played at SS), they’re both RH hitters, and Easley is a much better hitter… so why have a duplicate player on your roster? We already 17 second basemen…
graffanino has more experience at ss and 3b than easley. you’re using 1 year of success by easley. he hit .240 or under the 5 years before 2007.
graffanino on the other hand hit .274 in 60 .309 in 05 and over .260 before that
he has been a better hitter and has more experience depite being younger than easley.
the insults started with your smart**s tone about my original comment depite the fact that you read it wrong and i wanted to keep easley on the team
anywhay. you have a truce on my end. lets go mets.
oh, and if you wanna count all the innings Graffanino has played in his career to make your case (I would hope a 35 yr old will have played more than a 25 yr old)… but if you want to compare the two at 25 yrs old, here you go:
Gotay has played 4 times as many innings at SS (at 25) than Graffanino did — 20 to 5.
He’s played more innings at 2B than Graffanino, about 1300 to 1200… and has a HIGHER FIELDING PERCENTAGE — .981 to .975.
Oh, and Gotay has also played more innings at 3B than Graffanino, at 25 — 11 to 4.
Gotay also has more HRs, RBIs, and a higher AVG during that time.
Just to set the record straight, you started with the insults A–hole… I just replied back
this is your 1st reply to me, after I simply mentioned Easley had a better year last year — and filled the same positions…
“i guess reading isn’t one of your strengths since i wrote if easley is healthy let gotay play at triple a. that would keep easley on the roster, genius.”
what are you talking about? my stats compare easley to graffanino. are you paying attention? who cares about there comparisions about age 25?
gotay is a terrible fielder. no range.
when gotay was in junior high school his avg was higher than graffanino.
This was the most entertaining thread in this post. Sorry, I just had to say that.
who said anything about replacing Easley who was also hurt at the endo of the year by the way? Tony would replace Gotay who serves no real purpose other than a pinch hitter due to his lack of defense.
You guys really have no clue. Not a one. Gotay has ten times more range then Easley. Why do you think he took over the secondbase job from him before they picked up Castillo? That the Mets said if they couldn’t get Castillo they had no problems with playing Gotay there the rest of the year. You guys always seem to glance right over that. How about the fact that they said in Kansas City that Gotay will always be all glove and no bat? A couple of announcers say he has problems turning the doubleplay and you guys overblow that into he has no glove and no range. Again I say you guys make me look like I’m a huge Gotay fan when I am not. But I do know if a guy can play and he can. He’s a fine backup who played errorless ball at short and third when he was called upon and came up with some key pinch hits during the September swoon. Amezaga could be a possibility but since he’s been their main centerfielder he would cost to much to get. But Easley (38) and Valentin (38) coming off of knee injuries shouldn’t even come into the conversation.
actually you have NO clue. easley has a much better range factor and zone rating than gotay:
easley: range factor: .854
gotay: range factor: .774
easley: range factor: 5.21
gotay: range factor: 4.34
LOL range factor, zone factor. Those are bogus numbers that have no bearing in fact. You go to any real baseball person (scout, GM or coach) and ask them who they’d rather see at second, short, and third and 99% of them will say Gotay. If you ask them who has more range and they’ll say Gotay. Why was it Gotay took over second from Easley last year? You never answered that because you know the reason. Gotay was doing a better job defensively and had more range. It was Willie and the coaching staff that said this. Omar was the one who said that if they didnt get Castillo, Gotay would have done the job. I cant believe that you could say with a straight face that 38 year old Easley coming off a knee injury has more range and is better defensively than 25 year old Gotay. Hell, you guys are saying how concerned you are about Castillo and his knee and his losing range and he’s only 32 and was way better defensively than Easley ever was. Come on, it’s common sense. I know you want the spot for another position player but it has to go to a backup that can play short. If not Gotay then an Amezaga or someone else that can handle the position. No one, and I mean no one, expects to see Easley, Anderson, or Valentin to play any positions other than first and the outfield and I’m not just talking fans, but the Mets organization as well.
Speaking of David Wright, when Delgado rests, shift Wright to 1st , and play Easley, Gotay or Valentin at 3rd.
Why play one player out of position to fix the other? If the bench crew can handle 3B they can handle 1B for a day or 2. That would be a mess to continue to move Wright all the time. Now if its next season and a big name 3B becomes available and you want to talk about a permenant move maybe, but I would not even do that.
I can’t see why they don’t resign Shawn Green, who did admirably in the 1B backup spot last year and already gels with this team. He hit .382 in 17 games playing 1B (essentially errorless fielding at that position), can play an adequate RF and is still something of a power threat. Admittedly he is slower in RF than Church but actually their fielding averages are identical (FWIW) and he stole 8 more bases. And he was our ONLY hot bat during the doomed stretch run.
just redundancy, they have plenty of lefty bats who are poor defenders and can play LF and 1B. Green cant play RF well, really only Chavez can on this bench roster.
Why do people keep referring to Marlon Anderson as a 2B? If he is playing 2B there is something terribly wrong… or its the 17th inning and someone just got hurt. He is a OF/1B and that is it.
Two backup IF’s (Easley and Gotay) is normal, so whats with the ‘too man secondbasemen’ comments?
I think David Wright might take issue with Shawn Green being the ONLY hot bat down the stretch (Wright hit .352, 6 HR, 20 RBIs in September).
Agree, Wright was hot too. Forgot about that as I wish I could forget about everything else that happened in Sept. But Green did hit .407 w 2 HRs in Sept, and .315 in the whole 2nd half, not numbers to dismiss to easily for a struggling team.
I’m not really dumping on Shawn Green, he was fine down the stretch… I just don’t think he’s the guy you need to backup 1B and RF (considering the 2 starters are lefties, and given Church’s difficulties vs lefties last year), when you consider Green hit only .195 vs lefties — you already have Easley that hit .371 vs. lefties, who’s “capable” (but not great) at both positons.
Some of my friends say we need another bat. Some of my friends say we are fine as is. I agree with my friends.
while we are worrying about things that really dont matter… who is the 3rd string catcher? There is none of the 40 man roster, and with DiFelice leaving there is no one to slip back and forth to AAA. Whatever will we do about this?! ;)
i really hope omar can pluck back nady for a low level prospect.
Man, not signing Tony Clark might really burn the Mets. The guy is a monster off the bench, a switchhitter and a MUCH better glove than Delgado.
Maybe Omar swallows his pride and gives Green a call??
Green is so much better defensively at first and his bat hasn’t deteriorated as much as Delgado’s. I know that sounds crazy but comapre the 2007 #s:
BA /OBP/SLG
Delgado: 607 PAs .258/.333/.448
Green : 490 PAs .291/.352/.430
Of course, Delgado struck out 118 times last year and I’m sure that # will go up this year unless he closed that MASSIVE hole in his swing.
Ugh. As much as love every move Omar made this offseason, I wish there was a way to get a 1B that can still hit a little.
Ironic, that the two teams with tons of money to toss around, Mets and Jankos, can’t find a decent option at first. A position that is notorious for always having available high priced talent.
Here’s hoping Tex is wearing Orange and Blue at the deadline this year!
I sure wish we could find a 1B that hit .285 with a .375 OBP and 10 HR in the second half. Especially one that during a teams slump hit .321 with a .385 OBP and 4 HR in 53 AB’s during September.
Oh wait, we already got one of those and he is one of our weak links? That’s a loaded team.
Talk about a small sample size and roughly all those ABs were against teams that were out of the races and likely AAA and AA talent.
Where was Delgado in June when the Mets were missing Alou and really needed Delgado??
Look, I hope he pulls out of his decline, but he looked lost for most of last season. So when he stops hitting and you compound that with his awful glove work, it IS a weak link and he could threaten to derail another season.
We just gotta be patient regarding a righty to spell Delgado and Church. I think Damion Easily can fill either role. There will be a righty that will get released from some team due to a rookie taking a starting job. Our bench is very good to begin with, Marlon Anderson is one of the best pinch hitters in baseball, Easily has a good bat with some pop, Castro is one of the better backup catchers in baseball, and I have not even mentioned Endy Chavez who would be a gold glove candidate if he was an everyday player. I like Gotay alot and I would try to teach him how to play the outfield but Willie doesn’t seem to like Gotay.
Either way if a 6th bench player and 11th are our biggest concern then I think our team is in pretty good shape.
“Stewart has a below-average arm and Mench is a below-average defender.”
And Alou has a great arm and great defense? Poor excuses, IMO to not spend some extra money. At this point they’d take a platoon position for a contending team. Better them play LF when Alou is down than Pagan, Endy or Ben Johnson.